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PAHO NEWS: Press Releases, Job Vacancies, and Other
Information from the Pan American Health Organization
(PAHO) via the Canadian Society for International Health
(CSIH) http://www.csih.org; Technical Representative in
Canada for PAHO
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Preparedness Can Limit Effect of Disasters, PAHO Director
Says
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Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, February 16, 1999-
Countries can limit the extent to which natural hazards lead
to disasters, as well as the impact of the disaster itself,
said Dr. George Alleyne, Director of the Pan American Health
Organization, at an international meeting on disasters,
Speaking at the opening session of "Evaluation of
Preparedness for, and Response to Hurricanes George and
Mitch," with more than 350 experts from affected countries,
donor organizations, the United Nations system, and the
media attending, Dr. Alleyne said, "Natural hazards are
beyond our control. We have still to accept how puny we are
in the face or presence of the awful power of nature. But it
is not arrogance to affirm that we can limit the extent to
which these natural hazards lead to disasters as well as the
impact of the disaster itself. We can be better prepared to
respond to the disaster."
PAHO's role, he said, is "concerned not only with disaster
relief but with the whole spectrum, ranging from mitigation
through preparation and prevention to response to
development." The level of preparedness "has increased
significantly in the Americas as a whole and definitely in
the Caribbean and Central America," Dr. Alleyne said. This
is due to country efforts and support from the governments
of Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, and the
European Community, he said.
Dr. Alleyne asked participants to study how "international
goodwill can be channeled more effectively. You will reflect
on how it can fulfill some definitive purpose instead of
contributing to confusion because it was not solicited and
did not respond to real needs."
Delegates at the international meeting will spend five days
discussing lessons learned from Hurricanes Georges and
Mitch, including early warning, needs assessment, water and
sanitation, medical care, psychosocial aspects, disease
surveillance, food and nutrition, supply management,
civilian-military coordination, information management, mass
media, and the transition from emergency to reconstruction.
He praised the SUMA supply management system as a useful way
to bring "some order to the great quantity of supplies when
they arrived," and provided national governments "with the
kind of information that could ensure transparency in the
management of donations."
Information, Dr. Alleyne said, "clearly played a key role in
the response. The Internet is now a major medium that has to
be recognized in disaster management," and PAHO quickly set
up a website "that was a credible source of information
during the immediate post disaster phase."
Present at the opening session were Dominican Minister of
Health Dr. Altagracia Guzman Marcelino, Dr. Claude De Ville
of PAHO, and representatives of UNICEF, UNDP, WHO, OCHA and
other agencies.
PAHO, which also serves as the regional office for the
Americas of the World Health Organization, works to improve
health and raise living standards in all the countries of
the Americas.
For more information contact Daniel Epstein, Hotel V
Centenario, Santo Domingo, (809) 221-0000 or Bryna Brennan,
Office of Public Information, Tel (202) 974-3457, email:
[log in to unmask] Fax (202) 974-3143, Office of Public
Information 525 Twenty-Third Street, N.W. Washington, DC
20037, USA - http:\\www.paho.org
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PAHO Vacancy Notice
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Post Title: Advisor on Communicable Diseases; Level: P.4;
Post Number: .4729; Issue Date: 25 January 1999; Closing
Date: 8 March 1999
Duty Station: Washington, D.C. Tenure: Two years, first
year Probationary period. Division/Program/Office: Division
of Disease Prevention and Control (HCP), Communicable
Diseases Program (HCT) Basic Salary: $49,523 at single
rate; Post Adjustment: $9,607 at single rate
Minimum Requirements: Education: An M.D. or a Ph.D. in one
of the health sciences with a postgraduate degree to at
least the Master's level in epidemiology or public health.
Experience: Nine years of combined national and
international experience in the prevention, control,
research and training in communicable diseases and related
fields; experience should include the management of programs
and projects with recognized standing in the field of
epidemiology, active participation in technical cooperation
activities aimed at strengthening research capability, as
well as operational experience in the prevention and control
of communicable diseases, particularly tropical, emerging
and reemerging diseases. Languages: Very good knowledge of
English or Spanish, with a working knowledge of the other.
For more information, contact: the Pan American Health
Organization, World Health Organization 525 Twenty-Third
Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037 USA; Fax (202) 974-
3379; Telephone (202) 974-3396; Vacancy Hotline: (202) 974-
3333; http://www.paho.org
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PAHO Vacancy 98/PAHO/24 Has Been Cancelled
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Post Title: Advisor on Disease Prevention and Control
Level: P.4; Post Number: 4.5784; Duty Station: Bogota,
Colombia; Division/Program/Office: Disease Prevention and
Control; (HCP)Noncommunicable Diseases (HCN)
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Pan American Journal of Public Health
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Founded on more than seventy years of publishing experience,
the Pan American Journal of Public Health provides
indispensable information for the prevention of disease and
the improvement of health in the Americas. Each monthly
issue contains original research articles that have been
carefully assessed by expert peer reviewers. Public health
articles are published in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Common topics appearing in the journal include infectious
diseases, health promotion, maternal and infant health,
mental health, new vaccines, health systems and services,
food and nutrition, health economics, noncommunicable
diseases, natural disasters. We invite you to browse the
table of contents and article abstracts of recent and future
issues of the Journal on the web at http://www.paho.org -
click on Publications.
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INCAP's Fiftieth Anniversary
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The Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama -
INCAP, a specialized nutrition centre and Regional Centre of
the Panamerican Sanitary Bureau, is celebrating 50 years of
dedicated work targeted towards the improvement of the food
and nutrition situation of the population of Central America
and as of 1998 of the Dominican Republic.
During 1999, INCAP will be celebrating its Fiftieth
Anniversary, organizing scientific technical meetings at the
countries and headquarters. These events are being planned
with the aim to exchange information of the results achieved
thus far and address future needs as well as to obtain a
renewed commitment of Member countries in the promotion of
food and nutrition security. A scientific-technical meeting
is planned for September 6 - 10, 1999 at the office in
Guatemala.
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This document is available, with full formatting and
accents, at http://www.csih.org/paho_ndx.html
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